BK Magazine Webinars and Book Events
Posted by
Madeline Coates,
Digital & Editorial Intern,
Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Madeline Coates is an English major at Westmont college and the former Digital and Editorial Intern at Berrett-Koehler.
A Berrett-Koehler Webinar
"In the Green: The Benefits & Challenges of Sustainable Business"
Recorded on 1/26/14
Berrett-Koehler authors Tom Szaky (Outsmart Waste: The Modern Idea of Garbage and How to Think Our Way Out of It) and Brad Edmondson (Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry's ) discuss the obstacles facing socially conscious businesses, and the rewards of remaining environmentally responsible. Szaky speaks from his experience as the founder of a start-up (TerraCycle, a recycling company which currently operates in over twenty-four countries), while Edmondson chronicles the story of Ben and Jerry’s, and its transformation from a local business to a national brand.
TerraCycle's operations are focused on recycling typically unrecyclable waste, a mission consistent with Szaky's goal of getting people to rethink the concept of garbage on a global scale. While he addresses the responsibility of individual businesses to produce sustainable packaging, he believes that the power for change rests mainly with consumers; our spending habits directly influence what companies produce. Edmondson explains the struggle of remaining socially responsible while operating as a for-profit business; if social responsibility and financial stability are held equally, sacrifices must sometimes be made on one end for the sake of the other. Maintaining a business with a conscience is an ongoing struggle, but one that is, overall, rewarding.
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